A little further south of Indialantic, is Melbourne Beach. This Florida beach town has a relaxed vibe, if you are looking for a beach town to vacation in. There is also easy river access too so you can enjoy both the ocean and river within minutes of each other.
Beach and River Parks
Melbourne Beach has five parks to enjoy the outdoors.
- Ryckman Park – This river park has paid parking, picnic benches and a fishing pier that extends out into the river where you can view sunsets and see wildlife including birds, manatees and dolphins.
- Ocean Park – This ocean park has paid parking, restrooms, lifeguards and is close to restaurants.
- Spessard Holland South Beach Park and Coconut Point Park – Both of these ocean parks have free beach parking, lifeguards and clean restrooms.
- Juan Ponce de Leon Landing – This ocean park has free parking, restrooms, a pavilion for picnics and a statue of Ponce de Leon with information about his historic landing. Park here and walk south if you’d like to see sea turtles between April and October in the evening or shortly before sunrise.
(Ryckman Park’s Melbourne Beach Pier)
(Sunrise south of Juan Ponce de Leon Landing)
(Sea Turtles seen on Melbourne Beach. Laying eggs on left, baby turtle on right)
Melbourne Beach History
Want to learn about Melbourne Beach Florida’s history? Take an hour or so on a Saturday to visit the Old Town Hall History Center. The Old Town Hall History Center building was originally constructed in 1908, was relocated twice, and almost demolished in 2001. It’s been fully restored in 2007, opened as a history center, and it’s packed full of information!
We learned about the Native Americans who lived on this land well before the 1500s when Ponce de Leon landed nearby. There is a neat diorama of how the area looked when the first beach goers came here in the 1800’s by boat from the mainland. Plus there are lots of photos and other information about Melbourne Beach’s notable residents and events.
(Old Town Hall History Center Sign and Building)
Melbourne Beach Restaurants
From fine dining to relaxed eateries, there are food options for all tastes and budgets in Melbourne Beach Florida. I’ve listed the restaurants in order of how far they are from Ocean Ave. Also, I have only listed restaurants we’ve been to. (Nautical Cafe is on my list to try, but haven’t been there yet.)
Finally, I added a cost Key, so you can expect what you’ll spend at each option.
- $ – Less than $15 per person
- $$ – $16-$25 per person
- $$$ – $26-50 per person
- $$$$ – expect over $50 per person
Breakfast, Lunch or Dinner:
- Sand on the Beach $$ (Breakfast/Lunch)- ($$$ Lunch/Dinner) This restaurant is all about the location – the ocean views are spectacular. The menu features a fair amount of options, from normal breakfast fare to tacos, burgers and entrees for lunch or dinner. They have a full selection of cocktails, wine and beer, so its a great place to grab a drink and watch the ocean from their bikini bar. They have a new Happy Hour from 4-6 that we haven’t tried yet.
Breakfast or Lunch:
- Sunnyside Cafe $ – This cute diner has friendly and efficient servers. You can tell they enjoy working there. The main menu has everything you would expect at a diner. They also have a specials menu with decently priced options (I ordered these crepes, pictured below, with fruit for $15 and they were very tasty).
(Crepes and fruit from Sunnyside Cafe)
Lunch or Dinner:
- Ocean 302 $$ – Hands down, this is the best wood-fired pizza we’ve eaten. We like dining here during their Happy Hour. They have a large draft beer list and wine menu, as well as a full bar. Reservations are recommended, but you can get a table if you dine off-hours. The gourmet food menu is pricier, ($$$) but all the food is delish.
- Oceanside Pizza $ – If you desire thin New York Style Pizza and other New York Italian food, such as cannoli’s, I found the perfect place for you. We stopped in for lunch and the pizza, soup and cannoli was superb!
- Cheers on the Beach Pub and Grill $$ – Have a comfort food craving? Want to enjoy live music and entertainment while having dinner and a drink? Then Cheers on the Beach is the perfect place for you, and your family and friends.
- New England Eatery & Pub $$ – Enjoy dining on New England style seafood in their very cool outdoor covered Tiki porch, or eat inside their main dining room. If you bring along someone who isn’t a seafood lover they also have burgers and chicken.
(Half Charcuterie half plain wood fired pizza with Blood Orange Wheat Ale from Ocean 302)
(Bruschetta slice, Pepperoni Slice and Cannoli from Oceanside Pizza)
Ice Cream:
- Beachside Creamery $ – You can’t have a day at the beach without getting an ice cream. Pick up any type of sweet ice cream treat you may want from a sugar cone twist to an old fashioned banana split.
Dinner only:
- Djon’s Steak And Lobster House $$$$ – Looking for a fine dining experience? Djon’s will fit the bill. Be sure to make reservations using OpenTable. We dined here a few years ago and enjoyed it a lot. It’s a great place for a romantic dinner or a grown-up family/friend dinner where you want to take your time and not be rushed.
- Cafe Coconut Cove $$-$$$ – This river view German Restaurant has it all. Beautiful sunset views often with dolphins playing in the water, a full bar including wines and German beer, and delicious German appetizers, entrees and desserts.
Melbourne Beach Shopping
Melbourne Beach has a few independently owned shops if you are looking for beachy items to bring home with you.
- Nautical Selections Shells and Gifts – This cute store has a lot of seashells, souvenirs and beachy items to take home with you.
- Catalyst Shop – Stop in to pick-up beach wear or anything you need to start surfing.
Stay Overnight at Melbourne Beach
We haven’t stayed in a hotel or Airbnb in Melbourne Beach because we live nearby. Here are some recommendations for places I’ve researched.
- SeaGlass Inn Bed and Breakfast is across from Ryckman Park and the pier offering you easy access to the river views especially to enjoy the sunsets. They have a heated swimming pool and lots of room options if you book a few weeks out. (Room rates are around $230-330/night double occupancy)
- Port D’Hiver Bed and Breakfast is just across from Ocean Park and would be perfect if you want to spoil yourself or the one you love with an ocean view room. The hotel offers breakfast delivered to your private porch and a beautiful courtyard with a swimming pool. (Room rates are around $550-650/night double occupancy. If you are flexible on when you’d like to stay, check this link from Expedia for deals up to 50% off.)
- Melbourne Beach Resort and Surf Club is located right on the ocean, and has rooms with ocean or pool views all just steps from the sand. (Room rates are $160-260 when booked from Expedia)
(If you book from our Expedia links we may receive an affiliate commission.)
We love Melbourne Beach and hope you consider visiting this Florida beach town if you are looking for a relaxing vacation full of wildlife viewing or just being outdoors enjoying the beach and riverfront.
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